


Give Me A Little More Time To Let Go Of You

by booksandanime



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: After missions, Chat doesn't want to leave, Ends on a fluffy note, F/M, Ladybug thinks Chat is just as amazing as her, Plagg just wants cheese, Sometimes Ladybug indulges him, That's how Chat feels sometimes, They're a team, Tikki is helpful, Turns a little angsty, You know that feeling where something good happens and you never want it to end?, puns, starts fluffy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-04-07
Updated: 2016-04-07
Packaged: 2018-05-31 11:18:28
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,264
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6468127
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/booksandanime/pseuds/booksandanime
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Sometimes the mission doesn't end with a fist bump.</p><p>Sometimes it ends with a hug, a witty comment, a soft pat on the shoulder, a wink. Sometimes it's Chat who initiates it, and sometimes it's Ladybug.</p><p>(The mission's already over, but that doesn't mean they have to go yet, right?)</p>
            </blockquote>





	Give Me A Little More Time To Let Go Of You

**Author's Note:**

> My friends told me about this fandom, and I blame them. 
> 
> (But I kind of thank them as well, so it all balances out.)
> 
> This is my first work for this pairing, and I hope I do them justice. =]
> 
> (The title is basically just how I think Chat feels after every mission, when Ladybug has to leave before she de-transforms, and he just wants a little more time with her.)

It hasn't even been a particularly difficult day.   
  
  
The victim was set free, the akuma was purified, and any things that were wrecked in the process were fixed by lucky charm. Ladybug's already turning to go home, when a hand on her wrist stops her.  
  
  
She turns to look at Chat. "Is there something wrong?" She asks, a hint of worry in her voice.  
  
  
Chat blinks. "Ah, n-no, my lady! I was just... going to tell you to be careful on your way home?"  
  
  
Ladybug blinks. "Uh, same to you?"  
  
  
Chat grins nervously, then releases his hold on her wrist. He waves. "Until next time!"  
  
  
"See you soon, Chat." She says and leaves, swinging with her yo-yo.  
  
  
Chat stares at his hand, and closes it into a fist. For a while, he can still feel the pulse of her heart beneath his hand.  
  
_  
  
The next time it happens, he tries to make her stay with puns.  
  
  
"Aw, are you running away from me meowready? I'm pawsitively wounded." He says, laying a hand over his heart and sighing dramatically.  
  
  
"You know I'm going to transform soon." She says, giving him an unimpressed look.  
  
  
"I know, I know, don't worry." Chat says, holding up his hands as if to placate her.  
  
  
"And?" She asks, voice filled with confusion and annoyance.  
  
  
"And I just wanted to say that we did a good job today!" Chat says, grinning a little too widely.  
  
  
"Of course we did. We're a great team after all." Ladybug says, giving him a smile.   
  
  
"What would Paris do without us?" Chat asks, his grin going cockier.   
  
  
"I'm sure I don't know. But I do know what's going to happen if I stay any longer. Bye Chat." She says, and waves.  
  
  
"I'll eagerly claw-ait your return, My Lady." He says, and bows at her.  
  
  
He thinks he catches a smile and a sparkle of blue eyes, but when he straightens up, she's gone.  
  
-  
  
As the days pass, Chat struggles to find a reason for his actions. He knows that Ladybug doesn't want them to know each other's identities for their own protection, and he does respect her decision. Of course he'd want to know who the person is below the mask, but more often than not, Chat finds himself grasping for a reason for her to stay.  
  
  
He enjoys her company, and he's stated it on more than one occasion, but right now he finds himself craving it.  
  
  
With Ladybug, he can be himself. He can crack bad puns, he can be reckless, he can be wild, he can be  _free._ He doesn't have to be perfect, or obedient, or quiet. He doesn't have to smile all the time, maintaining an illusion of perfect self-control over himself.   
  
  
He loves the freedom Ladybug gives him, even if she may not know it herself.  
  
  
And maybe he's just a little bit eager to get her to stay, but every moment matters. Even if she thinks that his puns are annoying, even if she hasn't shown any romantic interest in him before, he knows that she has his back.   
  
  
And that's enough for him.  
  
_  
  
This akuma was easier than the others.  
  
  
And because of this, they still have a lot of time. Chat retracts his stick, and turns to Ladybug.  
  
  
"So! We still have a lot of time. Want to have lunch somewhere?" Chat asks, hopefully.  
  
  
Ladybug smiles. "Sorry kitty, but I have someplace to be."  
  
  
Chat visibly deflates. Even his ears point point downwards. "Oh."  
  
  
"But I'll see you around." She says, and before Chat can say anything, she's ruffling his hair.  
  
  
He blinks at her, and thinks about how nice her fingers feel in his hair, and how close they are, and how he hasn't said anything yet, and oh gosh, is he even breathing-  
  
  
When she steps away, he lets out a loud exhale.  
  
  
She giggles, and waves. "See you around, kitty!"  
  
  
And she's swinging away, just as Chat touches his hand to his hair. If he had his way, he'd probably never wash his hair again.  
  
  
But, that would be very unsanitary, and would probably prompt her to not touch his hair anymore, so with a last glance at her retreating figure, he heads back, smiling wistfully the whole way.  
  
-  
  
Sometimes he doesn't say anything at all.  
  
  
No witty pun, no flirty comment, nothing. Sometimes he just stares at her. At how her bluebell eyes sparkle whenever she understands something, at her smile whether it's meant for comforting civilians or greeting him, at her nose that scrunches up when she doesn't get something, at all of her.  
  
  
She's beautiful, but there's more to her than just her beauty.  
  
  
There's her confidence, the way she knows that she can handle anything the world can throw at her. There's her teasing grin whenever he flirts with her, like she's playing the same game he is, except sometimes it's not a game for him. There's her skill in observing the surroundings around her, analyzing why the victim was akumatized, and how to use her Lucky Charm. There's her concern for people, the way she seems to care about almost everyone in Paris, by trying her best to keep civilians safe. There's her bravery and her quick wit and her passion in protecting people, and all of this makes his breath catch and his heart beat just a little faster.  
  
  
Of course there are times when she's just a little bit too reckless, and too impulsive, and even when it turns out all right, he still has this urge to hold her, keep her safe, and whisk her away from all harm. Which is not very practical, since Paris needs her too much for him to do that. But hey, he can dream right?  
  
  
And if he did hug her that one time, it wasn't his fault. After all, he almost lost her, he had a right to be worried! On the bright side, she didn't push him away, which is a start.  
  
  
To be honest, sometimes he thinks he isn't good enough for her. Like he's holding her back somehow. After all, he can't purify akumas, his power is literally bad luck, and he causes destruction more times than he can count.  
  
  
He's mentioned this to Plagg once, and his kwami had just scoffed. "That's why you're a team! You balance each other out! You're the yin to her yang, the bad luck to her good luck, the destruction to her creation! How many times do you think Cataclysm saved your lives, huh?"  
  
  
"So, you think we're perfect for each other?" He had asked, hopefully.  
  
  
Plagg sighed. "If that's what you understood from my speech, sure. Believe whatever you want."  
  
  
And he did have a point. Ladybug and Chat Noir were a team, and she had even told it to him before. They had each other's backs, and they knew each other's fighting styles, and they worked well together.  
  
  
Now, if only she could somehow return his affections, everything would be perfect.  
  
-  
  
She held his hand.  
  
  
Ladybug held his hand. She'd looked at him, face scrunched in pain at seeing a small nick on his face, saying that he's stupid, that he should take care of himself more.  
  
  
Chat wants to make it up to her, so he says the first thing that comes to mind.  
  
  
Chat doesn't know how he came up with the idea of a patrol, but his lady seems to like it. And before he knows it, she's swinging away, but not before saying that she'll see him later at 7:00.  
  
  
And no matter how many times his mind tells him that this is  _not a date, not a date, notadate, get a hold of yourself!,_ he can't help the smile that spreads across his face.   
  
  
They agreed that their meeting place would be before the Eiffel tower, and Chat gets there 15 minutes before 7:00. He settles down to wait. Not even 5 minutes later, he can hear the telltale sound of a yo-yo.  
  
  
He stands up and smiles as Ladybug lands in front of him. "Evening, My Lady." He says, and bows.  
  
  
"Evening, kitty. I hope I didn't keep you waiting." She says, smiling.  
  
  
"I'm always happy to wait for you as long as it takes." He says, winking.  
  
  
Her smile falters a bit, and then it's back again. "So, shall we get started?"  
  
  
"Lead the way." Chat says.  
  
  
Soon, they're bounding all over Paris, and the city is absolutely breathtaking at night. The lights are on, soft music is wafting through the air, and there are sounds that are only exemplified during the night time.  
  
  
It's noisy, it's vibrant, it's  _wonderful.  
  
  
_ And all too soon, they've already done a complete check of the city, and there's no trouble afoot. Ladybug lands on top of the Eiffel Tower, and Chat gently lands behind her.   
  
  
"That was fun." He says, grinning.  
  
  
"And just a little bit tiring." Ladybug says.  
  
  
Chat feels a pang of guilt. "I'm sorry if I kept you up. You probably have much better things to do."  
  
  
"Better things to do than making sure Paris is safe? Of course not." Ladybug says, and flashes him a quick smile.  
  
  
"Ever the responsible one." Chat says, but he's looking at her admiringly.  
  
  
She notices his look, and flinches.   
  
  
His heart drops. "Ladybug?"  
  
  
"I'm sorry Chat. I need to go." She says, and before he can reply, she's already gone.  
  
  
And he's left standing on the Eiffel Tower, hand outstretched, and heart beating painfully against his chest.   
  
  
He's screwed up somehow.  
  
-  
  
"What did I do wrong, Plagg?" Adrien asks, falling down on top of his bed.  
  
  
"I don't know. Maybe she got scared by your advances." Plagg chuckled.  
  
  
Adrien frowns. "You think so?"  
  
  
"How would I know? Your love problems are none of my business. But if you ask me, she looked nervous." Plagg comments.  
  
  
"Nervous? Why would she look nervous?" He asks.  
  
  
Plagg shrugged unhelpfully. "Why don't you just ask her?"  
  
  
"She'll think I'm invading her privacy or something." Adrien sighs.  
  
  
"Look, the way I see it, you can either talk to her, or just lie down, moaning and sighing the whole time. Take your pick, though I'd prefer the former." Plagg says, staring at him.  
  
  
Adrien twists his ring around his finger. It's a nervous habit of his, but he has to admit that Plagg has a point. "Ok. I'll talk to her tomorrow."  
  
  
"Great. Now can you please get me some camembert? Your love troubles are making me hungry!" Plagg announces.  
  
  
"Ok." Adrien says, sighing and walking off.   
  
  
Tomorrow. He's going to talk to her tomorrow and apologize for whatever he did wrong.  
  
-  
  
He doesn't know how he makes it through school, but he does. Nino takes one glance at him, and furrows his eyebrows. "Dude, you look bad."  
  
  
"Is it that obvious?" Adrien asks, sighing.  
  
  
"To your best friend, yeah." Nino says. "Seriously dude, what happened? Daddy troubles?"  
  
  
"No. It's a girl." Adrien admits.  
  
  
Nino's eyes widen comically. "Oh man. Dude. Dude man, Adrien dude, Adrien man, dude, don't tell me that the great Adrien Agreste got dumped?"  
  
  
"Actually, I didn't. But she ran away from me." Adrien says, resting his chin dejectedly in one hand.  
  
  
Nino whistles slowly. "Damn. What did you do?"  
  
  
"Nothing. I just paid her a compliment and she ran away. I have absolutely no idea what I did wrong." Adrien says.  
  
  
"Hey man. I'm sure there was a misunderstanding somehow. You should talk to her! Clear the air, sort things out, you know?" Nino says, resting his hand on Adrien's shoulder.  
  
  
"What if she runs away from me again?" Adrien asks.  
  
  
"Then run after her! I mean, I'm sure you deserve an explanation, and running away never solves anything! You need to face the problem head-on man!" Nino exclaims.  
  
  
Adrien chuckles. "I'll try."  
  
  
"You can do this man!" Nino says, and Adrien cracks a smile.   
  
  
"Thanks." He says, and Nino grins.  
  
  
"No problemo." They fist bump, and Adrien feels a little bit better. He can do this.  
  
-  
  
She can't do this.  
  
  
She really really can't do this.   
  
  
What on earth is she supposed to tell Chat?  _The truth._ Her mind helpfully supplies.   
  
  
"I can't do this, Tikki." Marinette says, lying on her bed. School just ended, and she dashed out of there, giving an excuse to Alya (something about helping her parents out with the bakery), and winded up thinking about the events of the night before.   
  
  
It had played through her mind all evening, and she still hadn't reached a solution.  
  
  
"Marinette, why did you run away?" Tikki asks her.  
  
  
"Did you see the way he looked at me? Like I could do no wrong? It scared me." Marinette admits.  
  
  
"Scared you? Why? Shouldn't you be flattered?" Tikki asks.  
  
  
"Maybe. But I'm just me, Tikki. I'm just Marinette. I don't deserve to be looked at like that." She says.  
  
  
"Of course you do! You're Ladybug, saving innocent people every day! You defeat evil and restore things back to the way they were before!" Tikki says.  
  
  
"But that's when I put on the mask! What about when I take it off?" Marinette protests.  
  
  
"When you take off the mask, you're Marinette. You're a passionate designer, a wonderful baker, a sweet and kind girl who only wants the best for others!" Tikki says.  
  
  
"You really think so?" Marinette asks, looking at her kwami.  
  
  
"I know so!" Tikki says, and smiles.  
  
  
Marinette gently cups her hands around Tikki, and presses a soft kiss to her forehead. "Thank you, Tikki."  
  
  
Tikki giggles. "You're welcome. Now don't you have someplace to be?"  
  
-  
  
Their talk had to wait later.   
  
  
There was an akuma, there was a victim, and Ladybug and Chat Noir had to save the day first. Chat Noir's movements were a little bit sluggish, and Ladybug was a little bit distracted, but it turned out well.  
  
  
She found the akuma (roller blades) and quickly destroyed them. She de-evilized the akuma, and set the city right.  
  
  
She turns to Chat. She walks up to him and places a hand on his shoulder. "I'm sorry about yesterday. Can we still do patrol later? I promise I'll explain everything."  
  
  
Chat looks at her with confusion in his eyes. Then he blinks, and a little bit of trust shows in those green depths. "Of course, My Lady."  
  
  
She smiles at him, pats his shoulder, then swings away.  
  
-  
  
They meet on top of the Eiffel Tower.  
  
  
Ladybug gets there first, and Chat follows a few minutes after.  
  
  
Ladybug sits down, and pats the space between her. Chat obediently sits down. He chances a glance at her, and she looks unsure.   
  
  
So he starts the conversation. "I'm sorry if I did something wrong, My Lady."  
  
  
Ladybug's head whips around so fast. "You did nothing wrong, Chat!"  
  
  
Chat hesitates. "Then why did you-"  
  
  
"Because you're amazing." Ladybug says, then freezes.  
  
  
Chat blinks. "Um. Thank you?"  
  
  
"I meant, no, that wasn't right! I mean, of course you're amazing, but being amazing doesn't mean- ordinary is good-wait." Ladybug says, and holds up her hand. "Give me a minute please."  
  
  
"Take as long as you want?" Chat says, torn between feeling as if he can fly, and feeling just as confused as ever.  
  
  
Ladybug inhales. And exhales. She does this a couple of times, and then lowers her hand. She looks across, to the horizon. "Sometimes you look at me as if I'm special. As if I can do everything right. Sometimes you give me flirty comments that leave me confused and annoyed, but cause a smile on my face. Sometimes you argue with me, and I get annoyed, but then I realize that you mean well. Sometimes you question my decisions, and I realize that you have amazing ideas too, and that I don't have to do everything by myself. Sometimes you jump between me and danger, always taking the hit for me."  
  
  
She turns to him, and Chat's breath catches. Her blue eyes are filled with determination. "I want you to stop that."  
  
  
"I can't." Chat says, and she lets out a sigh.   
  
  
"Fine. If you won't, then at least let me do the same for you." She says.  
  
  
Chat's eyes widen. "What? You take the hit for me? My Lady, I could never-"  
  
  
"Don't you know how important you are to me?" Ladybug demands. "I don't want to see you get hurt, and yet you insist on taking the hit for me. And don't say it's your duty or your mission, because you're only obligation to me is to be my partner. To be my friend, to be my team member, to be my other half. You matter, stupid cat, and if you don't understand that, at least let me do the same for you."  
  
  
She's practically pleading now, but her eyes are firm, and Chat slowly nods. "If that's what My Lady wishes."  
  
  
"And another thing." Ladybug falters, then huffs. "You look at me, treat me, and talk to me as if I'm amazing. But I want you to know that you're nothing less than that. Ok?"  
  
  
For a minute Chat can't speak. Then he smirks. "Would you go as far as to say that I'm simply...  _miraculous_ , My Lady?"  
  
  
She stares at him, and then lets out this sound that's between a snort and a choke. "Chat."  
  
  
He grins, wide and Cheshire-like. "Yes, Bugaboo?"  
  
  
"That was terrible." She says, still doing that  _adorable_ sound.  
  
  
"Excuse you, it was purrfectly good. Pawsitively amazing, if I do say so myself." Chat says, winking.  
  
  
Ladybug sighs, and Chat is about to crack another cat pun when she rests her head on his shoulder. He freezes up.   
  
  
"Good. You stopped talking." She says, smiling softly.  
  
  
"I'm wounded, My Lady." He says softly.  
  
  
"I'll bet." She says, and Chat slowly relaxes.   
  
  
In their position, he can feel her heat steadily beating through her suit, and feel the top of her head move against his chin. Her hand rests curled around her yo-yo, and the other one rests comfortably on her leg.  
  
  
"Thank you Chat." She says.  
  
  
"For what?" Chat asks.  
  
  
"For being you." She says, as if it's the simplest thing in the world.   
  
  
"Who else would I be?" He asks, half joking.  
  
  
"You could be someone who wanted to hurt me. You could use your powers for evil, you could have chosen not to accept the Miraculous at all. You could have chosen to run away from everything. You could have been anyone, yet you're here, with me, and you're the greatest partner I could have asked for. Thank you." She says.  
  
  
Chat finds the he can't speak, but his chest fills with warmth. And so, with a little bit of hesitation, he drops a kiss on the top of her head. When she doesn't move away, he smiles. "No need to thank me for something like that, My Lady. I'd make all the choices all over again if it means I'd get to meet you."  
  
  
She blushes. "I'll never understand your fascination with me, Kitty."  
  
  
"Someday you will. There's no need to rush." He says, even if he feels like he's so in love with her that he could do practically anything. He can wait.  
  
  
He'd wait for her his whole life if he had to, and even if she ever rejects him, he'd still be her friend. They've gone through a lot together, and they're going to go through a whole lot more. But if they're by each other's sides, he knows they can do this.  
  
  
They have time.

**Author's Note:**

> There are not enough fics where Ladybug tells Chat that he is amazing without any prompting. 
> 
> I hope this was alright. Please tell me what you thought? =]


End file.
